Power-operated self-anchoring tree-cutting tool



y 1951 T. STENNITT 2,554,220

POWER OPERATED SELF-ANCHORING TREE-CUTTING 'rooz.

Filed Oct. 11, 1946 Patented May 22, 1951 POWEIFOPERATED SELF-ANCHORING TREE-CUTTIN G TOOL Thomas. Stennitt, Lansdowne, Ontario, Canada Application October-11, 1946, Serial No; 702,725 In Canada March 1945 This-application is.- a;: continuation-in-part. of

application Serial .No: 604,652, nowrabandoned, filed July 12,1945.

This invention relates to sawingmachinea and moreparticularly; to-the portable: treeor log: cut- 5 ting type.

It isan objectof thisrinvention to provide a. simple; lightweight sawing tool, of low. costmanufacture, which maybe. transported. and operated,

conveniently by oneiman, which may be quickly and readily clampedin firm operatingpositionon portions :of alog or tree-ofawiderange of sizes and'shapes and substantiallyregardless of the distance of such portions from the'ground, and

which when so. positioned-may be actuated to completethesawing operation-with little. or no attention of the operator:

To this, end, the: inventioncontemplates the provision of a tree or logcutting tool comprising a frame, sawing mechanism mounted on the-frame,

a motor for driving such mechanismzmounted on: the-' forwardv end of the frame, a clamping member" for engagement witha tree or logv mounted on the forward end ofthe vframeebelow the motor, and-a second clamping member pivoted to the rearward portion of the frameand having, a portion lying directly below theforwardportion of the frame for cooperation with the first clamping member. The invention further contemplates a novel arrangement of parts and .drivingvmecha- 3 nism whereby the device may be easily handled-.- and conveniently, operated with a minimum of skill."

Other objects, advantages and details'will become'evident as *th'e'description proceeds withparticular reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation-of the 'toolin accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan'view;

Figure .3. is an; .end' elevation;

Eignre 4Lis': a: detail. view in, partial. sectional. elevation of a loading means for the saw Figure-5- is .a partial bottom plan-view showing a .detail of the clamping; means,- and.-

' 4 Figure, 6 is a partial sectional. end. elevation.

showing a clutch actuating mechanism.

Inthe drawing, the frame I comprises a longi tudinally extending ,mem ber-2; preferably in one piece U-shaped formofv light tubular metal; a:

plurality of'transverse bars .3; anupwardly exa tending U-shapedxmember 4-lfixed tothe forward. endzof member 2, and a longitudinally; extending? rodi5 having one end fixed :tovthe upperportionrof member {4 and: its "otherend connected.-to-:the: 5b

rearward 'aportioniof member 2; the :rod". 5 serving as ra'sconvenient carrying .and'hand-l'i'ng meanszfora the-i-device':

4 Claims. (Cl. 143-68).

5 with respect to arm :2I

A'- motor 5 is carried'by the'extreme forward end of the frame and preferably offsetfrom the longitudinal axis thereof: In order to permit operation of "the devicein either uprightor in-- clined position of varying extent, mounting-means v is provided for the-motorrwherebyit may be con veniently placed'in upright position despite varying angularity of the frame. meansscomprises'a support-i having a base plate 8 to which the-motor is secured and arcuate end.

plates 9 atright anglestothe base.- The plates-.9 have arcuate slots 1 I! therein and, at the inner end ofthesupport, pins I 2 carried by a transverse bar 3 extend through the adjacent slot in sliding relation thereto to carry the support; AtJthe outerend of'the support, pins II carried: bytheouter' transverse bar 3, extend in sliding-relation through the adjacent slot to carry the support. The pins H are. provided with'locknuts I3 to lockthe support in any'desired position with relation'tto the frame.

The driving shaft Id of the-motor is provided with a pulley !5,'which is coupled by meansof aclutch I I 6 with a stub tshaft I I :mountedin bearings I 8' below the frame While any suitable clutch may be employed, that shownis-of Sim-- plifiedand effective construction. The stub shaft I1 is provided-with a pulley I8, and a belt I9-norma-lly loosely engages pulleys I5 and. I8 to permit free runningof-pulley I5; Pulley I8 is of considerably larger diameter than pulley; I 5 to provide a-speed reduction between shafts I4 and I! of, fortinstance', 2-to 1.= Belt-tightening means to cause driving engagement of the belt I 9 with the pulleys comprises a roller: 2 0, rotatably carriedby anarm 2I pivoted to'the frame-at22, and a lever 23, pivoted to the: frame: at 24; for imparting,

swinging movement to thearm. The lever is con nectedito armtZIby means of asecond armz25 fixed to' armizl by 'meansiof bolt 26 and having its :frees: end: connected by spring 2.! to pin-128mm Thepressureapplied .to arm. 2 I and: rollerx-Zllby the-'"levermay'be adjusted by loosen-- the lever.

ingtibolt flli and adjustingthepositionrofs arm 25 The lever is 1 held. in any positionxtdwhich" it is moved by frictional engagement of the, pin 28" with the walls of aslot 29:.ir1aslink? 313, one endfof' which is pivoted. to an upright post 3| on the frameand the other" end ofz'which is connected by means of a spring 32 withtheiframe:

Stub shaft II-is geared, by means of gears '33? and-i l; to paralleldrivenshaft 35, mountedin bearings: 35 suspended from the frame.

speedreduction-of, for instance; 2 to.1.

The driven shaft 35 extendszto a point adjacent thesrearward; endmfStheEframe, whereitfiiasedriv- Such mounting.

The ratio-ofagears:33 and- 34- is;such as'to provide a ing engagement with a transverse shaft 31 by means of bevel gears 38 and 39. The ratio of gears 38 and 39 is such as to provide a speed reduction of, say, to 1. A protective cover 4| may be provided for the upper portion of gear 39 and a depending frame member 42 acts as a guard for the lower portion of the gear. Shaft 31 is journalled in suitable bearing blocks 40 carried by the frame.

One end of shaft 31 extends beyond the frame and a crank arm 43 is fixed to such end of the shaft. A pitman 44 is pivotally connected to the outer end of the crank arm and to a carriage 45 reciprocally carried by an auxiliary frame 46 which is pivotally mounted at one end on the shaft 31 by means of a sleeve 59 to which the frame is fixed and which is journalled on shaft 31. The frame 45 preferably comprises a light tubular metal rod 4'! of U-shaped form, the parallel arms of which constitute tracks for engagement by the grooved peripheries of rollers 48 of the carriage. The carriage comprises a plate 49 in which are journalled the shafts 50 of the rollers. Preferably, two pairs of aligned rollers are provided, two of which engage the upper track and two of which engage the lower track.

A drag saw 5| is mounted on the plate 59 by means of bolts 52. The saw extends through a gauge block 53 carried by the free end of the auxiliary frame. When not in operation, the free end of the auxiliary frame may be supported on the main frame by means of a laterally projecting member 55 on the main frame on which an opposed projection 55 on the auxiliary frame is adapted to rest. The member 54 is carried by an upwardly curved frame member 56 fixed to one of the arms of U-shaped member 2. The member 56 may be additionally supported by the posts 51. A handle 58 for lifting the free end of the auxiliary frame may be provided.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of loading means for the saw to minimize the operators attention during the sawing operation and to facilitate and improve the latter operation. As is well known, in sawing devices of the present type, it is substantially essential for the operator to apply pressure manually to the sawing frame during the cutting operation to ensure satisfactory cutting and to eliminate harmful vibration. The present invention seeks to eliminate this step by providing an adjustable saw loading device which comprises a sleeve 59, fixed to shaft 31 adjacent the auxiliary frame and a segmental frame 60 fixed to the sleeve. Pivoted to the base of the segmental frame is a lever 6| which has engagement with one or other of teeth 62 on the periphery of the segment. A spring 63 is connected at one end to the free end of the lever and at the other end to the main frame member 56. It will be apparent that the spring, acting through the lever and. sleeve, will exert a downward swinging action on the auxiliary frame about its pivot on the shaft, the force of such swinging action being adjustable by the setting of the lever in the toothed segment. Thus, a downwardly acting pressure will be exerted on the saw to maintain it in satisfactory cutting relation with respect to the log during the forward stroke and to eliminate vibration during the return stroke. The usual means is provided for permitting substantial disengagement with the work piece during the return stroke of the saw, such means comprising the small crank 64 in the shaft 31.

Means for clamping the device to a tree or the like for entire support therefrom comprises a downwardly projecting spike 65 fixed to the forward end of the main frame adjacent one side thereof, a second downwardly projecting spike 66 carried by an arm 61 pivoted to a bracket 58 mounted on the lower side of a transverse bar 3. Several pairs of positioning lugs 69 are provided on the lower surface of the transverse bar 3 at the forward end of the frame whereby the arm 61 and spike 66 may be placed in several positions at various distances from the fixed spike 65 to facilitate clamping engagement with various sizes and shapes of logs or trees. A spring '10 maintains the arm in engagement with the bar. A complementary clamping member comprises the arm having a yoke 12 pivotally mounted in the rearward portion of the frame member 2 by means of the shaft 13. The arm H extends to the forward portion of the device and the free end is provided with an upwardly projecting spike M. The free end of the arm 1| lies directly below the motor but offset towards the side of the frame opposite to that on which the motor is mounted. Means for swinging the free or spike-carrying end of the arm "H towards and away from the spikes 65 and 66 comprises a lever 75 pivoted at 15 intermediate its ends and adjacent the lower end to a bracket 'n'l mounted on the frame. A connecting bar 18 is pivotally connected at T9 at its lower end to arm TI and to the lower end of the lever at 80. A ratchet 8| is mounted on the frame and is engageabl-e by a dog 82 carried by the lever to lock the lever in any desired position. It will be observed that downward swinging movement of the lever will cause upward swinging movement of the arm I I. Thus the tool may be effectively clamped to a tree 83, as shown in Figure 1.

In order to adjust the clamping mechanism to various sizes of logs or trees, the pivotal connection may be removably mounted in any one of various spaced notches 84 in the connecting bar 18, a spring 85 connected to the bar 18 and arm H swinging to maintain engagement of the connection 80 with the respective notch.

While the dimensions of the tool may vary, a tool having the following specific details has been I found to be particularly effective:

Motor: 1 horsepower, net weight 33 lbs., 3000 r. p. m.

Ratio of revolutions of driving shaft to crank shaft: 20 to 1.

Stroke of saw: 15 inches.

Cuts per minute: 300.

Overall length of frame: 3 feet.

Width of main frame: 1 foot.

A tool embodying the above mentioned details does not substantially exceed 50 pounds in gross weight.

Since the heavy end of the tool, carrying the motor and associated parts, is supported by means of the clamping mechanism directly on the work piece, with the lighter end projecting outwardly therefrom, the tool is easily mounted in clamping relation on the workpiece and such clamping relation is rigidly maintained. Moreover, the clamping mechanism, the motor, and the clutch are all arranged in the forward position of the tool so that they are all in easy reach of the operator without changing his position. Thus, the operator may clamp the tool to a work piece, start the motor, and actuate the clutch with a minimum of effort. The bar 18 and pulleys l5 and I8 are substantially in line with each other, the

space below the frame forwardly of this line being free to accommodate logs of a wide range of sizes. The clamping bar H is located on the lighter side of the machine to provide a more firm support for the machine when mounted on a tree.

The tool is of such light weight that it may be transported by a single operator, and may be, for instance, carried up into a tree for sawing limbs therefrom.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the structural details of the described device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sawing tool having a main frame, a crank shaft transversely mounted therein adjacent the rearward end thereof, a sleeve journalled on the crankshaft, an auxiliary frame fixed to the sleeve for pivotal movement about the crank shaft, a saw-carrying carriage supported in the auxiliary frame, and mechanism for imparting reciprocal motion to the carriage, saw loading means comprising a toothed segment fixed to the sleeve, a lever pivoted to the segment and engaging one or other of the teeth of the segment, and a spring having one end connected to the free end of the lever and the other end connected to the main frame at a point spaced forwardly of the crankshaft and urging said lever into engagement with a tooth of said segment.

2. A sawing tool comprising a substantally rectangular main frame having side and end members and a plurality of transverse members fixed to the side members, a shaft journalled transversely in the frame at the rearward end thereof, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted on one end of the shaft and spaced laterally from the main frame, a carriage reciprocally mounted in the auxiliary frame, a crank arm fixed to the shaft and connected to the carriage, means for driving the shaft to impart reciprocal motion to the carriage including a motor carried in laterally offset relation on the forward end of the main frame, and clamping means for entirely supporting the tool on a work piece comprising a fixed downwardly projecting work-engaging spike carried at one end of the forward end member of the main frame, an arm pivotally mounted on one of said transverse members for lateral swinging movement with respect to the main frame and having its free end in sliding engagement with the forward end member of the main frame, a downwardly projecting work-engaging spike fixed to the free end of said arm, a second arm extending longitudinally of the main frame and having a pair of rearwardly extending legs each pivotally mounted on a rearward portion of a respective side member of the main frame for perpendicular swinging movement with respect thereto, the forward end of the said second arm lying in transversely opposite and laterally offset relation to the motor and having an upwardly projecting work-engaging spike fixed thereto, and a lever pivoted to the main frame and having an adjustable link connection with the forward portion of the second arm to swing the latter about said pivotal mounting.

3. A sawing tool comprising a substantially rectangular main frame having side and end members and a plurality of transverse members fixed to the side members, a shaft journalled transversely in the frame at the rearward end thereof, an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted on one end of the shaft and spaced laterally from the main frame, a carriage reciprocally mounted in the auxiliary frame, a crank arm fixed to the shaft and connected to the carriage, means for driving the shaft to impart reciprocal motion to the carriage including a motor carried in laterally offset relation on the forward end of the main frame, and clamping means for entirely supporting the tool on a work piece comprising a fixed downwardly projecting work-engaging spike carried at one end of the forward end member of the main frame, an arm pivotally mounted on one of said transverse members for lateral swinging movement with respect to the main frame and having its free end in sliding engagement with said forward end member, a downwardly projecting work-engaging spike fixed to the free end of said arm, a second arm extending longitudinally of the main frame and having its rearwardly extending portion pivotally mounted on a rearward portion of the main frame for perpendicular swinging movement with respect thereto, the forward end of said second arm lying in transversely opposite and laterally oifset relation to the motor and having an upwardly projecting work-engaging spike fixed thereto, and a lever pivoted to the main frame and having a link connection with the forward portion of the second arm to swing the latter about said pivotal mounting.

4. A sawing tool comprising a substantially rectangular main frame having side and end members, an auxiliary frame pivotally carried by the main frame, a carriage reciprocally mounted in the auxiliary frame, means for imparting reciprocal motion to the carriage including a motor carried in laterally offset relation on the forward end of the main frame, and clamping means for entirely supporting the tool on a work piece comprising a fixed downwardly projecting workengaging spike carried by the forward end of the main frame below the motor, and an arm extending longitudinally of the main frame and having a pair of rearwardly extending legs each pivotally mounted on a rearward portion of a respective side member of the main frame for perpendicular swinging movement with respect thereto, the forward end of said arm lying in transversely opposite and laterally offset relation to the motor and having an upwardly projecting work-engaging spike fixed thereto.

THOMAS STENNITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 552,963 Lomas Jan. 14, 1896 775,247 Reid Nov. 15, 1904 915,210 Overlin Mar. 16, 1909 925,194 Keough June 15, 1909 971,600 Freese Oct. 4, 1910 977,028 Maxwell Nov. 29, 1910 1,063,986 Lowe et al. June 10, 1913 1,132,251 Freese Mar. 16, 1915 1,169,221 Wilson Jan. 25, 1916 1,364,054 Adams Dec. 28, 1920 1,499,198 Swenson June 24, 1924 1,624,662 Halvorsen Apr. 12, 1927 1,922,151 Boice et al Aug. 15, 1933 2,122,611 Kirby July 5, 1938 2,413,485 Brown Dec. 31, 1946 

